Downtown Oakville - Tree Lighting CeremonyDig out your fuzzy wool mittens and start practicing your Christmas carol songs! Downtown Oakville's Tree Lighting Ceremony is almost upon us once more.The official start of the downtown Oakville Christmas shopping season will begin at 7pm on November 16th, 2012 when the switch is thrown and the beautiful Christmas tree in downtown Oakville's Towne Square sparkles brightly with hundreds of lights once more. Even Santa and his elves will be there with hot apple cider for one and all. The Salvation Army Band and Oakville's Mayor will lead a Christmas carol sing-along with the official lighting of the tree taking place at 7:30.If you haven't visited downtown Oakville before, or haven't started your Christmas shopping yet, now would be the perfect t... 11/04/2012

The chicks have flown, the nests are abandoned, and you have decided that it is the perfect day in Burlington, Oakville or other regions across the continent, to take down and clean your bird houses. STOP ! Please read this before proceeding one step further. Are you aware that numerous life threatening diseases are picked up through the cleaning of bird houses and feeders ? If not, then this article is for you.   Below is a partial list of diseases/parasites that may be picked up by the simple task of doing some cleaning around your yard.   Histoplasmosis ~fungal disease that enters through inhalation;Cryptococcosus~fungal diseasePsitaccosis Salmonella.   The above list is by NO MEANS all-inclusive ! There are numerous other zoonoses that may be picked up by the handling of bird houses... 06/03/2012

The continental (4 distinct seasons) climate of the Burlington and Oakville area is moderated by it's proximity to the Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment.Belleville and region experiences warmer temperatures in the winter and slightly cooler temperatures in the summer due to these effects and the average snowfall is lower than many areas in Canada and the north eastern states of the USA. Our winters generally pass fairly quickly with an average of 291 hours of sunlight. Oftentimes in winter we will experience a sudden thaw with a number of days reaching above 10C and into the 50s. The odd winter we experience very little snow and generally, January and February are the coldest months. The average number of snow days is 42. Spring like weather usually starts to occur haphazardly in ... 06/02/2012

  The Stillness of a Snowy Day in Oakville and Burlington Area, Ontario.It's collecting on the garden door and turning the Burlington and Oakville regions of Ontario, Canada into a cosy, muffled world of whiteness again. Snow, glorious snow.  I've been home this week recovering from a nasty bug that I picked up well before Christmas. The past 4 weeks have seen a seemingly never ending cycle of thinking I am finally getting over it just to have it rear it's vicious head once more. Monday I went to see the Doc as I was feeling worse than ever and I knew I needed help. After  4 days of antibiotics, I'm feeling like myself once more and can make plans to return to those winter activities that I love. The Burlington and Oakville area is home to many beautiful, groomed cross-country ski trail... 01/19/2012

The Town of Oakville has three heritage districts as designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.  Old Oakville Heritage Conservation District Trafalgar Road Heritage Conservation District First and Second Street Heritage Conservation District  Map of Oakville's 3 Heritage Districts These three districts are all located in the real estate area called Old Oakville.  Each individual neighbourhood is situated within walking distance of Oakville's vibrant downtown core, Lake Ontario and the Oakville Harbour. Many homes on Trafalgar Road back onto the 16 Mile Creek.   All three very desireable neighbourhoods are located on leafy tree lined streets.  Stately century old homes sit amongst new custom built homes and upscale townhomes and condos.  Some of the newer townhomes even offer elevators. ... 01/17/2012

Search The Oakville Real Estate Listings To Get The Best Deal When Buying Or Selling Real Estate If you are looking to purchase real estate in oakville there are a few things that you can do to ensure that you get the most for your money. Doing these things will also make sure that you get a deal that you will love and not regret later. Looking at oakville real estate listings, can be one of the first things you do to get the right properties. There are some absolutely great properties for sale in oakville, and I can get you into one of them at a great price. Yes it may be a little more expensive then some other areas, but Oakville is considered an upper class area, with little crime. After you have made the smart decision to search oakville real estate listings you then need to make su... 12/31/2011

Bill and Sue** are a typical young Oakville couple.  They both have great but demanding  jobs and they love to spend their spare time enjoying Oakville restaurants and theatre with their friends.  When they bought their fixer upper home, Bill and Sue had some great renovation ideas, but Bill just didn't have the time necessary to complete all of their "projects." Sue is becoming a tad impatient and she is tired of waiting for Bill to repair even the simplest tasks like the leaky taps.  Sue has the bug.  She knows there are some great new homes being built in Oakville with all the bells and whistles  that she could move right into. Sue knows that with a newer home there will be no major maintenance issues for many years to come.  She adores her century character home but it just doesn't ... 11/25/2011

Oakville, Ontario is located in an enviable geographic position.  Sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario, and centrally located between the large cities of Toronto and Hamilton, the Town of Oakville with a population of approximately 175,000 still retains a small town community feel. The GO commuter trains are full every morning with Oakville residents travelling to their jobs in downtown Toronto.  Luckily, the Town of Oakville has a number of large employers, allowing many residents to live and work in close proximity. Here is a list of Oakville's Top Ten Employers 1. Halton District School Board  - 4000 2. Ford Motor Company of Canada Ltd. - 3491 3. Regional Municipality of Halton - 1650 4. Halton Healthcare Services Corp. - 1600  (Hospital) 5. Sheridan College Institute of Technology ... 11/21/2011

Number of Homes sold in Oakville each month in 2011 Selling Price   Aug Jul Jun May Apr Mar Feb Jan                     Less than $300,000   26 32 36 33 27 28 17  14 $300,000-$500,000   85 111 122 143 116 136 102  69 $500,000-$700,000   67 78 114 109 95 99 50  59 $700,000-$1,000,000   41 42 65 68 42 41 49  16 $1,000,000-$2,000,000   14 20 25 38 23 23 21  11 More than $2,000,000   4 5 3 4 7 2 4  7                     Total Sales   237 288 365 395 310 329 243  176 Total Inventory: 659 homes currently listed for sale in Oakville (as of Sept 7). There were 237 sales in Oakville in August, down significantly from the previous 3 months but much stronger than last August  when we had 220 sales. For the most part the weather cooperated with much more moderate temperatures than in July, making h... 09/08/2011

Oakville Rental Market Update - 2011   Apartments Townhomes Detached Total Current Inventory  16 26  46  88           Number of Units Rented         August 22 34 37 93 July 22 27 32 81 June 19 35 40 94 May 19 32 28 79 April 10 26 27 64 March 13 27 23 63 February 14 31 18 63 January 15 25 22 62           Total for Year 134 237 227 598 Average per Month 17 30 28 75 It was a busy month with a total of 93 rentals in Oakville in August, up from 81 last month and about average for the month of August (there were 92 and 91 leases in August 2010 and 2009 respectively). Rental inventory dropped back down to 88 units from 107 last month. The supply of apartments and townhomes remains very low (less than 1 month supply) while the supply of detached homes is well above the monthly average. As with ... 09/08/2011

Yet another new TV show on homes - this one has a difference though, inpsecting homes to see if those bumps in the night are mechanical or mystical! http://www.yourhome.ca/homes/repairsandrenovations/article/1041070--inspecting-homes-for-things-that-go-bump-in-the-night 08/30/2011

When people ask me about problems with rentals they are usually surprised when I tell them that the majority of the issues I have had with rentals are caused by the Landlord. Some Landlords don’t realize that a good Tenant is like money in the bank (literally), and you need to take good care of them and respect their rights. I’m sure there are some bad Landlords out there, but in most cases, I think the Landlord probably isn’t aware of the rules and regulations of tenancies in Ontario and what his/her responsibilities as a Landlord are. Being a good Landlord starts before the Tenant is in place. A good Landlord should properly screen Tenants (or have his agent do so). There are many questions one cannot ask prospective Tenants as they contravene the Human Rights Code so a Landlord shou... 08/17/2011

Recently a client said just that to me. I was very pleased because it meant she got it. She was talking about de-personalizing her home as she prepared it for sale. In her case it was pre-packing her tea cups and cat figurines that were on display. De-personalizing a home is tricky process. You want to remove the seller from the home without making it cold and unappealing. You have to leave enough there to tell the buyer that the seller is comfortable here and so will they be if they move in. 80% of buyers that view a home cannot visualize or get past what it there. They can't imagine themselves in a home if there is too much of the seller's lifestyle in the home. Today I did a consult on a home that had many cultural references. It was a beautiful home but you knew their heritage as so... 06/04/2011

Why should I have an ASA? Why should I get my accredited Senior Agent designation? The Accredited Senior Agent program is a simplistic one. Its there for the public. Any good realtor can sell a house. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. But what happens is ... Only an Accredited Senior Agent can go in and deal with the contents; you've got houses with 30 or 40 years with the same family in there. We have to deal with the emotional, we may have a family dispute that we have to deal with and need to bring in professionals. We recognise tax problems talking Income tax problems, We recognize estate work and probate, we're trained to look at a lot factors beyond the scope of typical realtors. Good Realtors can sell that house. An Accredited Senior Agent can handle all aspects of tha... 05/23/2011

   Often as a Stager I hear this question. Sellers so often have to touch up walls when they are preparing their home for sale. They may need to touch up a damaged area or where they have taken down a family photo. During the Staging consult I have advised the seller to move furniture which usually means moving art. If they have the paint left over, they can surgically fix the area and it will disappear. However that is not true if they have to go out and get new paint. It's never quite the same shade and shows just as much as the damage. So save a small amount of the paint if you can while painting. If there is no paint left over, make note of the paint brand, name and number. It will make your life easier when you go to sell and also help if something happens to the finish while livi... 04/17/2011

  10 Marketing Questions To Ask The Real Estate Agent  Who Is Offering To List Your Property For Sale With 90% of property buyers searching online for real estate, you'll likely be best served by an agent who understands modern Real Estate web marketing techniques. Quick Note: Most real estate agents you interview will not be able to answer all of these questions, but whoever comes closest is probably an excellent choice... Questions For Your Prospective Real Estate Agent Can you create a single property website for my property? Will it be syndicated? Can you track the metrics, activity and viewers?   Will this site include a video of the property? Will the video be on Youtube? How about some other video sharing sites? How often will you post to Craig’s List? Kijiji? BuyToronto? Will yo... 03/06/2011

If you are selling a family home the bedrooms count. Don't ignore a valuable selling feature. The family that is looking at your house is probably looking for more bedrooms and above all space. They want room for their family to live comfortably and grow. Show them bedrooms that are clean, clutter free and spacious enough for a bed and a chest. If the paint or the carpeting are dirty or tired, clean or replace them. A fresh bright room looks appealing. By all means go for the 'cutsie' factor. Help the buyer imagine their child living in a wonderful room.   If you are now an empty nester and are selling, bring out those toys you have stored for when your grandchildren come over. Use them to turn your home back into a warm family home. A clutter free room will tell the buyer your home has... 02/07/2011

  The master is one of the key areas when you are selling your home. Buyers have come to expect something special when they view homes. They are looking for that 'dream' bedroom that they have seen on TV or in a magazine. The master suite/bedroom is supposed to be the owner's retreat from the world. It's a serene space with that touch of romance. As a Stager I know that isn't the 'reality' in most homes. Some homes have the basics there with the walk-in closet and an en suite but they are full of, well, everything. Some owners have tucked in a computer station. Others seem to add those things they just don't know what to do with. There may be an ironing board set up for the morning rush.  So when it is time to sell the house there is considerable work to be done to create that space th... 02/06/2011

If you are new to Canada and have been working for at least 3 months, You have a Permanent Residence Card, I would enjoy helping you Buy your first home. With as little as 5% down and as long as you have passed your employment probation period; we can help make your dream come true. Our strength is in the advice provided. Please call me Lindsay Doke RBC Financial Trusted Mortgage Advisor 416-464-6423 and let’s get started 01/29/2011

The real ZERO DOWN If you are struggling to save up that 5% down payment to buy your home and are tired of paying your landlord’s mortgage then let me help you. In exchange for your good credit history, RBC Financial will allow you to use both your credit line and credit card limits towards your down payment. All you need are the closing costs.This is now easier, since the Ontario Government is providing a $2,000 credit towards your Land Transfer Tax. Please call me Lindsay Doke RBC Financial Trusted Mortgage Advisor 416-464-6423. & let’s get started.. 01/27/2011